The Impossible Dream/Chapter 7
Text Mary declared that the second day of her and Hugo’s trip would be devoted to Christmas shopping, for which they would split up so they could buy each other gifts. Hugo headed over to the shopping center near the ski lodge. For Erin, he picked out a few scarves-he always hated buying Erin gifts, because he knew she’d take whatever he bought her as a sign that he secretly liked her back. For Carlisle he got some fishing lures and the book he’d been wanting on the history of missionaries. For Mary he chose a pretty pair of gloves and a poster of an angel kitten, which she would like because a) she loved kittens and b) the color scheme matched her room. As usual, he didn’t buy anything for James, who insisted that for him, Christmas meant giving rather than taking (though he was fine with taking plenty of money from well-wishers that time of year). He also bought a violet, his mother’s namesake, to place on her grave as he did each Christmas. He spent a long time trying to figure out what to give Brian. He figured it should be something musical-related, but what musical-related paraphernalia did Brian not have? He skipped over the soundtracks-Brian could have stocked a music store with his soundtrack collections. A poster? No, too generic. He was beginning to think he’d never find the right thing to give Brian when he wandered into the store section devoted to seasonal merchandise. And there, sitting atop a pile of Christmas ornaments was the perfect present. ~~~ Another thing Brian loved was Disneyland. Cuz, seriously, who doesn’t love Disneyland? His parents had set him free to roam around the park while they checked in at the hotel, and he was wandering around New Orleans Square, taking in the awesomeness. He hadn’t really had a destination in mind, but there was never really any question that the Haunted Castle would be his first stop. He ended up in the same cart with a blonde-haired girl who looked around eleven. “Hi,” he said, smiling at her. “Hello,” she replied. “Not scared?” he asked. “Why should I be? It’s just a ride,” she said. Brian chuckled. “You’re a pretty brave kid. I’m Brian Hannel, by the way.” “Buffy Summers,” she replied. Their conversation was cut off when the ride started. And Brian had to admit, it was cool. Buffy Summers was indeed pretty brave, not even flinching the entire time. After the haunted mansion, Brian suggested they hang out together some more. The two had a good time, though Brian nearly threw up on the teacups. When finally Buffy’s dad found them, he was sad to see her go. “See you tomorrow?” he asked. Buffy shook her head; she and her dad were leaving that day. They exchanged phone numbers, but Brian didn’t know how often he’d be able to make the long-distance call from Forks to California. ~~~ The world was shaking. Why was it shaking? As he opened his eyes, Hugo realized that it wasn’t the world that was shaking, but him. “What?” he asked sleepily. “Wake up,” Mary said. “I don’t want Daddy to see this.” “See what?” Hugo mumbled into his pillow. “Get up and I’ll show you!” Reluctantly, Hugo sat up in bed and looked up at Mary. “Okay, what?” Mary held out a small, square package. Hugo clumsily ripped open the wrapping paper. And sitting in his hands was a brand-new copy of Abbey Road. Hugo looked up at Mary, his eyes wide. “Thank you so much!” he said, jumping out of bed to hug her. He hadn’t heard a proper Beatles album since moving to Forks. Mary only smiled. “Remember, don’t let Daddy see it,” she said mischievously. Characters Chapter 7